The loading of such long stock items into containers such as e.g. baskets, transport containers, cases and frames, or into stacking yokes or trestles, is at the present time still mainly done by hand, lifting gear being used as aids at best when relatively considerable item weights have to be dealt with. The elongated articles are conveyed individually or in collections of several items at a time with a conveying device such as e.g. a roller table, to the working station or the supply station, whence they are taken by hand or with the use of lifting gear and introduced into the container.